E-Signals
News from the Black Swamp Area Council
October 4, 2017

 

WHAT'S HOT?

Membership Fee Increase

Please see this important message in regards to the national membership fee increase...[Read more]

Deliver the Promise

Fall Family Festival

Spooktacular

If your unit would like to staff a spook station, register here!

Fall District Camporees

Be sure to put your district's camporee on your schedule for this fall...[Read more]    

Popcorn Sign Up Still Open

Units interested in selling popcorn, who have not yet signed up, now is your time to get registered. Just click the link http://prpopcorn.com/ and register, that’s it! If your unit did not receive their popcorn kit, please get in contact with your District Kernel to receive it. You can find the District Kernel list here.

  • Fill It Up: Fill an entire order form and qualify for entry into a drawing for 2 tickets to Cedar Point for the 2018 season. There will be one set awarded per District.
  • Galactic Gala: Scouts who sell $800 or more will participate in the Sellers Club event - A private showing of Star Wars Episode 8 "The Last Jedi".

Find all information about the 2017 popcorn sale on our website here!

Rocket Into Scouting

It’s been a busy September with many new families getting involved in Scouting. We have had 886 new Scouts get involved as of August 1. Many of which attended Deliver the Promise held at Camp Berry and many are invited to attend Deliver the Promise held at Camp Lakota on October 21.

Families can register anytime for Scouting. Just because September 14th one night sign up has passed; families can still get involved now. We encourage units to hold a 2nd joining night in case families missed signing up in September.  

Remember, anytime is a great time to sign up for Scouting.  We encourage your Scout to participate in the Cub Scout Recruiter Recognition.  From now until the end of year, if your Scout brings a friend to a unit meeting and they register, he will earn his Recruiter Patch. You can find the recruiter patch form here.

Cub Scout Rank Addendums

As of December 2016, addendums were added to the Cub Scout ranks advancements. These addendums are free and can be downloaded and printed...[Read more]

Do You Need Training?

Are you wondering where you take training? Look no further...[Read more]

Unit Committee Training Pack and Troop

The Executive Board of the Black Swamp Area Council adopted a training requirement for adult volunteers in the council in 2012. Those training requirements are being phased in over a number of years. The goal of the training is to enhance the programs offered to our youth members so that more of them will stay in Scouting. Since the implementation of the training requirement, year over year the council has had an increase in youth retention...[Read more]

Don't miss these community events happening this fall!

Join us for a day of fun at Camp Lakota...[Read more]

Online Registration Is Here

This year, units will have the opportunity to accept new youth applications into your unit. Units can also invite people to register within your unit. Key unit leadership such as committee chair, charter organization representative, and cubmaster/scoutmaster will have access to online registration. All this will be done through your my.scouting.org account.  For additional information, please see http://www.scouting.org/onlineregistration.aspx

Toledo Walleye Scout Experience

Nothing Beats a Walleye Scout Experience
This is an interactive learning program created especially for Scouts, wrapped around an exciting Walleye hockey game. Join us this on March 24th for the Pinewood Derby Showcase where you will be able to race your cars in front of our fans at the Huntington Center! This year's program also features an intermission program with the Toledo Zoo and an open skate only for Scouts, family and friends!...[Read more]

New Enhancements to the Lion (kindergarten) program

Based on the feedback, surveys, and focus groups, we encourage you to execute the following changes in delivering the Lion program this fall. 

Changes for 2017-2018:

  • Pack meeting and activities-Open up as optional to Lion families. Look for ways to actively involve Lions and include them in program, skits, etc. Lions want more Pack involvement.
  • Pinewood Derby-Open up to Lions as appropriate for the Pack. Three options are recommended for Lions: 1) Integrate into Pack with other Cub Scouts as Pack decides. 2) Use the wedge car from the Scout Shop to eliminate cutting, etc. 3) Have Lions do a Veggie Car Derby—information on website.
  • Fundraising-Allow as a family option—Make fundraising an optional activity for Lion families. Although they do not want mandatory levels of funds to raise, families indicated they do want to have the option. Spring Fundraising is encouraged. If popcorn is sold by Lions, then Show and Sell with older boys and parents would be the preference—door to door only if the parent is by the youth’s side.
  • Uniforms-Keep Lion T-shirt as required uniform with optional cap. But allow families to buy official blue Cub Scout button down or pants as desired for special occasions and Pack ceremonies.

For full article - https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/08/14/bsas-lion-pilot-program-for-kindergarteners-is-off-to-a-roaring-start/

Download the Lion Pilot Feedback here.

Download the Lions Program Overview here.

Download the Lions Program Request Form here.

See a mom's account of what it means to be a lion here.

AmazonSmile

Do you love the convenience of shopping online at Amazon? Why not give back when you order!

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service but Amazon will donate 0.5% of qualified purchases back to the Black Swamp Area Council when you shop at smile.amazon.com. Giving back is easy! When you go to smile.amazon.com, select Black Swamp Area Council, Boy Scouts of America as your charitible organization and Amazon will do the rest!

This is how BSA members can participate in the 2019 World Scout Jamboree at SBR

The 2017 National Jamboree has ended, and the countdown to the 2019 World Scout Jamboree has begun.

The 24th World Scout Jamboree will be held at the BSA’s new permanent Jamboree home: the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. It’s actually co-hosted by three Scout organizations: the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts Canada and Asociación de Scouts de México...[Read more]

Northern Tier 2018

Northern Tier, one of BSA’s National High Adventure Bases, provides exciting opportunities to explore the vast Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota and southern Canada.  Black Swamp Area Council is looking to send a crew(s) – each crew consists of 6 scouts and 2 adult leaders – to Northern Tier in 2018...[Read more]

Hike 100 Challenge

The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the NCT, is a footpath stretching approximately 4,600 miles from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota, passing through the seven states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota)...[Read more]

2018 High Adventure Trek Opportunities

Check out the upcoming High Adventure opportunities...[Read more]

Waypoints: High Adventure News from the Boy Scouts of America

To view the latest news on high adventure bases, click here.


 

GEARING UP

Findlay National Scout Shop

The current promotions for the Findlay Scout Shop...[Read more]

Lima Scout Shop

Hours: Monday - Friday 10:30 am - 5:30 pm (closed 1 - 2 pm for lunch)


 

ARROWWOOD

Spooky September

General information for the month of September in the year of our Lord 2017...[Read more]

Schedule Your FOS Presentation

Please schedule your Friends of Scouting unit presentation today!...[Read more]

Do You Use Social Media?

Follow the Arrowwood District on Facebook...[Read more]


 

CHINQUAPIN

Meecheway 5k Trail Run

Come see the beautiful landscape of Camp Lakota and participate in the Meecheway 5k! Register online here or on race day starting at 7 AM. Race starts at 8 AM. Download the race flier here.

Recruiting and Keeping New Scouts: It's All About the NMC

So what’s an NMC?

NMC stands for “New Member Coordinator” and every Scout unit should have one! The focus of a New Member Coordinator is to build relationships with new families joining their Scout unit...[Read more]


 

GREAT OAKS

Merit Badge Counselor Training

For 2018 to re-charter as a merit badge counselor you must have completed this training. Come Nov. 11 and get your training...[Read more]

Fall Camporee Oct. 13-15 at Camp Berry

Join us at the 2017 Allen-Hardin-Putnam County Fall Camporee on Oct. 13-15, 2017 at Camp Berry...[Read more]


 

OLD SYCAMORE

Merit Badge Counselor Training

For 2018, a merit badge counselor must have completed this training, so sign-up now and complete your training now...[Read more]

District Committee LOCATION Change

New location for the District Committee meeting...[Read more]


 

ORDER OF THE ARROW

The Order of the Arrow is proud to be a part of this year’s Spooktacular! We are actively seeking volunteers for this year’s Spooktacular, and you may do so by emailing lodgechief@mawatwoakus.org

Not interested in Spooktacular? Keep up-to-date on our lodge activities at www.mawatwoakus.org. Be sure to sign up for our lodge-wide Remind by texting “@mw449” to 81010 or going to www.rmd.at/mw449

 


 

THE EXTENDED FORECAST

BSA Safety Moment

Propane Stoves

“Stoves made for the outdoors can also extend the range of your travels by giving you a reliable way to generate heat anywhere and in any weather”. This is a quote from the 2014 edition of the Fieldbook (Scouting’s Manual of Basic and Advanced Skills for Outdoor Adventure). A propane camp stove has a lot of versatility. Two-burner propane stoves tend to be used more for base camping where the stove is setup and used in one location during the camping trip. There are some single burner propane stoves, although they tend to be a bit bulky and not always suitable for long backpacking trips...[Read more]